Green Tea Helps to Prevent Blood Sugar Spikes

Green Tea and Blood Sugar

My birthday is coming up soon and I am looking forward to a slice of cake and some dark chocolate. Eating cake and chocolate will raise blood sugar which could lead to a spike followed by an energy slump. As a form of damage control, I always accompany desserts with a cup of unsweetened green tea.

Tip: Always follow up high sugar or fat consumption with a cup of green tea

About Green Tea

Green tea originates from China and has been used medicinally for thousands of years within traditional Chinese medicine. Polyphenols are the beneficial compounds found within tea. Black, white, green and oolong tea all come from the same plant: Camellia sinensis. They just differ in how they have been processed.

The production of green tea involves either pan-frying or steaming the fresh tea leaves. Black and oolong tea undergo an additional fermentation process which results in lower levels of polyphenols and higher levels of caffeine in comparison.

Green tea is loaded with polyphenols like flavonoids and catechins, which have many beneficial properties including acting as powerful antioxidants, which protect the body cells from damage.

Green tea has many medicinal benefits including:

Boosts metabolism

Lowers blood fats and cholesterol

Lowers blood sugar

Lowers blood pressure

Antibacterial and antifungal when used topically on the skin

Green tea helps to prevent sugar rushes and feeling sleepy after eating something sweet or starchy like bread, pizza, pasta and rice. The bitterness of this tea stimulates the release of digestive juices and the polyphenols help to prevent an energy crash occurring after a blood sugar spike.

Just a reminder, green tea does contain caffeine, not as much as coffee or black tea so don't overdo, 1-2 cups/day should be fine.